Today we’d like to introduce you to Blindfish
Hi blindfish, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
spoiler alert: frost was not suggesting that we should take the road less traveled but that we all convince ourselves that the road we have chosen is/was the less popular, (and perhaps) more difficult, yet rewarding path. which all leads easily into idea of “no matter where you go, there you are”.
i have just self-published my first graphic novel (called ‘the cormorant’) and as i look back on the path i took to get here i see how meandering and erratic it was. yet here i am.
i am not sure the path someone has taken should be a blueprint for another to follow yet, perhaps, we (when starting a journey) find comfort in having a map of even less traveled roads.
after graduating from college (receiving a bfa with a concentration in drawing and painting) i did editorial work for publications like time magazine, reason, the los angeles and new york times, the orange count register, and the cleveland plain dealer. i transitioned into producing storyboards for a couple of un-produced movies and for advertising commercials, and then became an agency art director (which provided a more stable income).
over the last few years i have had side-projects such as creating background art for ‘the triplets of belleville’ director, sylvain chomet, showing in several galleries, and creating my graphic novel ‘the cormorant’.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
the road to one’s destination is almost never well-paved.
while creating ‘the cormorant’ i began posting each sequential page onto my instagram account (please have a look @ blindfish1) which proved to be successful—bumping my account to 75,000+ followers. yet i had trouble finding a publisher and encountered several rejections with reasons ranging from ‘ we like your style but the content is too r-rated’ to ‘nice work. do you have any superhero stuff?’
it was finally suggested to me by several friends that i simply self-publish which i decided to do. i have always viewed this book project as something of an adventure and self-publishing seemed like a worthwhile growth-experience.
the printing process has also produced several obstacles. the decision to print overseas has had it’s own challenges from language barriers, to countries (after going through mechanical stage and sending proofs) refusing to print due to their governments censorship policies.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
the graphic novel, ‘the cormorant’, is about a member of nasa’s experimental ‘sea bird’ project. the cormorant is a lachyrmore who has the ability to cause wide-scale, debilitating/crippling sadness in those he encounters.
the sea birds are used by nasa to supplement its decreased budget and are often loaned out to effect operational tasks for govt agencies.
when someone begins destroying the sea birds (whose locations are supposed to be secret) it is decided the cormorant, who, once deployed is not allowed to deviate from an assignment, should be brought in from the field. an assassin is hired to bring in the cormorant.
so, nasa has some problems: bring in the cormorant, manage the security of its other birds, find out who is targeting the members of the project, and fend against the cia who is attempting to claim the ‘sea bird’ project as its own—all against the backdrop of launching space shuttles, hollywood film productions, and reagan era politics.
my style has been described as unique, dark, and expressive. my instagram followers mention how much they enjoy my subdued color palette and uneasy line-work.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
i do all my own stunts!
Pricing:
- the first edition of ‘the cormorant’ is $45.00US plus s&h
- i offer several fine art prints which are available on my website: blindfish-art.com. prices vary.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blindfish-art.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blindfish1/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blind.fish.16
Image Credits
all images are © by blindfish press.
